The present invention relates a powered tailgate system for opening and closing a tailgate of a vehicle with electric power.
As a technique related to a powered tailgate system for opening and closing a tailgate of a vehicle with electric power, there exists a technique in which a rack gear is moved in longitudinal directions of a vehicle via a pinion gear using electric power, so that a curved arm connected to a rear end of the rack gear is swung in an arc while being guided by a curved guide having the same curvature as that of the curved arm, whereby a tailgate connected to the curved arm is opened and closed (refer to, for example, a patent literature No. 1). In this powered tailgate system, the rack gear for swinging the curved arm is designed to move in the longitudinal directions of the vehicle while oscillating vertically.
[Patent Literature No. 1]
U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,551
In the power tailgate system disclosed in the patent literature No. 1, since the rack gear for swinging the curved arm is designed to move in the longitudinal directions of the vehicle while oscillating vertically, a cover for covering the rack gear on a passenger compartment side sags down to thereby cause a problem that a head clearance above the head of an occupant in the vehicle is difficult to be secured. In addition, since the curved arm is connected to the rear end portion of the rack gear, an electric motor including the pinion gear and a reduction gear mechanism need to be provided in the vicinity of an opening at a rear end of the vehicle that is opened and closed by the tailgate, and depending on structures of vehicle bodies, the provision of the electric motor and the reduction gear mechanism ahead of the opening at the rear of the vehicle may lead to better results in terms of space and rigidity.
In addition, while the load of the curved arm is directed differently depending on directions in which the curved arm is moved or positions thereof, in the event that the curved arm is guided by the curved guide having the uniform curved shape as is described above, there is caused a problem that the load of the curved arm cannot be received effectively.